Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckalverta’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckalverta’, characterized by its large inflorescences with upright and elongated dark red-colored flower bracts and short flower bract petioles; dark green- colored leaves with short red-colored petioles; uniform and mounded plant habit; early flowering; and good post-production longevity.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Euphorbia pulcherrima.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckalverta’.

The new Poinsettia a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Jester Jingle, not patented. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Jester Jingle on or about Dec. 1, 1999 in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its flower bract coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., since December, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Eckalverta’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Eckalverta’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Large inflorescences with upright and enlongated dark red-colored flower bracts and short flower bract petioles.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with short red-colored petioles.

3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.

4. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 26 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8.5 weeks.

5. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Jester Jingle. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Jester Jingle in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were not as freely branching as plants of the cultivar Jester Jingle.

2. Leaf petioles of plants of the new Poinsettia were darker red than leaf petioles of plants of the cultivar Jester Jingle.

3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Poinsettia had dark red- colored flower bracts whereas inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Jester Jingle had dark red-colored flower bracts with random pink flecks.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:

1. Leaves of plants of the new Poinsettia were more upright and undulate than leaves of the cultivar 490.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller flower bracts than plants of the cultivar 490.

3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia were more upright than flower bracts of the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Eckalverta’ grown in a 16.5-cm container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Eckalverta’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves and flower bracts of ‘Jester Jingle’ (top) and ‘Eckalverta’ (bottom).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during the winter under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 16.5-cm pots and pinched once. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about 17 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckalverta.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutaion of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Jester Jingle, not patented.

Propagation:

Time cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 days at 20 to 22° C.

Root description.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded and mounding.

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit. Moderate vigor.

Plant height.—About 28 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 33 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity: About seven lateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About 19.5 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Color: 146A overlain within anthocyanin, 59A to 59B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About eight. Length: About 11 cm. Width: About 7 cm. Shape: Narrowly deltoid with irregular shallow lobing. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Acute to cuneate. Margin: Entire with shallow irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture: Upper surface: Glabrous. Lower surface: Slightly pubescent. Surface: Undulate and rugose. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A. Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137A. Venation, upper surface: 147D. Venation, lower surface: Towards base, 59A to 59C; towards apex, 137B. Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about 8.5 weeks; natural season flower maturity date is November 26 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and bract color for about three to four weeks under interior conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral branch, about seven.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 29 cm. Height (depth): About 8 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: About 16. Length, largest bracts: About 15 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 9.5 cm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic with shallow irregular lobing. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire with shallow irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Slightly concave and rugose. Orientation: Slightly upright. Color: Developing or transitional bracts, upper surface: Irregular and random areas of 53A and darker than 147A, then becoming mostly 53A. Developing or transitional bracts, lower surface: Irregular and random areas of 53B and 137A, then becoming mostly 53B. Fully developed bracts, upper surface: Brighter than 46A; color does not fade with subsequent development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: 53C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as ground color. Bract petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 59A.

Cyathia.—Quantity: About 16 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2.5 by 3 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Immature: 144A. Mature: 144A to 144B. Peduncle: Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens: Stamen number: About 15 to 20 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 53A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 12A. Pistils: None observed. Nectary number: One per cyathia. Nectary color: 14A.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckalverta’, as illustrated and described. 